An entrepreneur, an advertiser and a comedian walk into a bar….
Yes, they made a knock off your pants funny campaign together, got featured on Social Samosa, generated a whole lot of ‘shares’ and ‘saves’ on Instagram and branded their message right into their TG’s minds!
You get the drift.
So why and how are some of the best branding agencies in India and Ahmedabad, yours truly at Flora Fountain included, using humour to create memorability and differentiation for a brand? Read on to know it all…
Why humour works in selling?
People love to laugh. It’s something that almost everyone has in common. That’s why using humor is a popular advertising technique. The key, of course, is doing something that a majority of people will find funny. Laughter is always good for people. It can reduce pain and stress as well as lower blood pressure. Getting people to laugh also makes them more inclined to think positively about a business and buy its products.
And guess everyone knows, that the best ice breaker in the world is jokes (after food of course). And some of the most commonly heard conversation starters are, “have you seen/heard that ad where…”. That’s how humour creates a recall for brands, making it stand out and get its message shared among more people.
Popular brands that have used humour to spice up their marketing game
Let’s take a look at how some of the brands became household names with their wit and humour in delivering the message and marketing their products.
Old Spice
The popular men’s deodorant and hygiene products brand is known to go meta with their campaigns, making fun of the whole idea of advertising in itself. It usually features a very well built, handsome man, doing something completely out of context in their commercials, like riding a horse on a beach while mouthing the catchphrase addressing women, “Ladies, your man can smell just like me”. Here, take a look at one of their television commercials that aired sometime back.
Prime Video
Amazon’s video streaming service Prime Video in India has decided go all out and tickle the funny bone to promote the movies and shows on their platform. One look at their India Instagram page and you’ll find out posts peppered with humorous memes and jokes all involving some scene or dialogue from one of the movies in their catalogue, and a pop culture reference. One of their longest running advertising and marketing gags is wishing its followers “Good Morning” through funny memes. Here check out a few:
Netflix
Everyone hates spoilers. And everyone hates that one Netflix subscriber in the group who watches every movie, every TV show right when they release and give out spoilers to everyone. Netflix gave out fake spoilers of its highly popular shows through huge outdoor billboards as a part of their smart and funny campaign asking people to stay at home during the pandemic, to stay safe from the coronavirus and spoilers.
Eleven 11 Restro Cafe (@eleven11restrocafe)
This Ahmedabad-based restaurant cum cafe is not only known for its lip smacking food and Instagram-worthy ambience and interiors, but their quirky social media presence too.
The brand knows that their audience on the internet is a young, hip crowd that loves their memes and are fluent in pop-culture references.
And to match their vibe and draw them to their outlets, Eleven 11 regularly indulges in fun banters and shares witty takes on their social media pages.
Falguni Gruh Udhyog, Vastrapur (@falgunivastrapur)
This Ahmedabad-based snacks and packaged food brand is synonymous with being a Pakku Amdavadi, i.e. loud, funny and a total film buff. Falguni Vastrapur is a legacy brand, with loyalties of their customers spanning 30 years.
But they promote their products through trending memes and jokes shared on their Instagram pages. Here’s a sneak peek on what they usually talk about online.
The idea behind this is that the brand is pretty confident that the elders of the house (mothers, grandmothers, etc) will always visit the store to purchase their snacks. But the brand wishes to attract the cafe-hopping, new-gen audience by speaking to them in their lingo, while promoting their traditional and fusion Gujarati snacks.
Customers appreciate and remember a funny take
Sprout Social conducted a detailed survey of consumers in relation to brand personality. The report found that three in four consumers appreciated humor from brands. Humor helps a consumer remember and engage with your brand and that they appreciate good humor from companies
Good humour, a cheeky take on oneself also showcases honesty. Which is something every customer seeks from a brand. This honesty helps in building the trust between the consumer and the brand. And when there is trust and honesty in such a relationship, customers tend to engage more with the brand and further refer it to their friends and family too.
Can humour fail in marketing too?
But not every brand has the chops to be cheeky. Failing at humor in the marketing world is sure to attract attention, but not the kind that your brand wants. What builds a powerful connection also has a downside. Humor tends to be highly subjective. What’s funny to one may offend another. That can spread like wildfire and damage your brand. Humor can also water down your message. Make sure your team is on the same page and consistent with who you want your brand to be.
88% consumers dislike it when brands mock their fans
71% of consumers find brands engaging in politics on social annoying
Dos and Don’ts when it comes to using humor in marketing.
- Test your jokes on others before posting
What’s funny for one, might just be a plain ‘fact’ for another. Check if the ‘hilarious’ joke you thought up for your brand actually makes any sense or not, by cracking it with your peers, maybe the designers, the copywriters, and even the interns.
- Avoid controversial topics
What’s worse for a brand is a joke offending people than a joke not landing. People may let go of an ‘unfunny’ post, tweet or a blog, but a joke that mocks their beliefs, ideologies or anything sensitive has a high chance of backfiring.
- Be sure the timing is right
Oh, and what’s worst, is a badly timed joke. Never make jokes or post something funny when there is a scenario that is serious and sensitive, like a national mourning, war, natural calamities, etc.
- Select the right channel
Some jokes are specifically crafted for particular platforms. For instance, the “Like, Comment, Share” jokes are meant only for Instagram. Posting them on Pinterest or Twitter will never work.
You know what, some of the funniest jokes come out when you hanging out with the right people. How about you drop by our office for a cup of strong coffee and stronger punchlines for your next brand promotion? Drop us a hello on hello@florafountain.in
Vasim Samadji is a partner at Flora Fountain, where he leads the Business and Marketing Strategy divisions. In a world where everyone is used to sugarcoating, his directness is often considered rude. But that shouldn't be a problem if you like the no-nonsense approach. Because he is a seasoned professional...
